My Padawan's Padawan
by Bluejay53
Summary: What if Ahsoka was still with the 501st when Order 66 happens? What if Obi-Wan found her? Here is what could have happened after the rise of the Galactic Empire. Rated T to be safe.
1. Author's Note

Authors Note:

Hey, everyone! For all who may be wondering: No, I am not dead. No, I have not given up on this story. Yes, it has been a long, long, long, unbelievably long time since I have updated this story or even logged onto the site for that matter. When I started working on this story, I was a lot younger and underestimated the challenge of writing. I loved doing it, but my life soon became crowded with normal, teenage things. I know I have let some people down, and I feel incredibly guilty about it. However, my love for Star Wars and writing has not changed over the years. I watched all of The Clone Wars, was crushed when it was cancelled, shocked when the Sequel Trilogy was announced, and was almost too-excited when I saw Ahsoka at the end of Rebels' season 1. That being said, I have decided to take the story down…and rewrite it to make it as great as possible! The beginning plotline will not be changed (despite Ahsoka walking off into the sunset at the end of the Clone Wars, she will still be with the clones at the beginning of the story). The chapters will, however, be better written and expanded. It's going to be steady this time, with me starting out by posting the first few chapters this Saturday, and a new chapter or two appearing every Saturday until the story's close. I am so excited to be back on this project! I am so grateful to all those who have read and followed this story since I vanished from the fanfiction universe. I am amazed with how many of you have still been checking in, reviewing, and following me. I have not deserved you guys being so wonderful and I will make it up to you!

Until Then,

Bluejay


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Well, here we go!

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or story items from Star Wars.

Obi-Wan Kenobi watched from a distance as the Lars family cradled their newborn nephew. 'Why did it have to come to this?' he thought. 'Why?'

He still trusted in the force but after the past few days' events that trust was starting to falter.

He knew he had to keep moving, but just as he climbed back onto the speeder bike, his comlink went off.

"Obi-Wan, Get to Tatooine, did you?" the voice of Master Yoda asked.

"Yes, and Luke is with his aunt and uncle. Master, is it really safe to be speaking like this?" Obi-Wan asked. For all he knew, the new emperor was somewhere tracing the signal.

"Had to make sure Luke was safe, I did. For now, fine speaking, we are. Contact you more, I will not. Stay on Tatooine, you will."

"Yes, Master. May the force be with you," Obi-Wan replied, saddened by the thought of not seeing the Grand Master again.

"With you as well, Master Kenobi. With you as well."

Later that night, Obi-Wan had managed to get a temporary apartment in Mos Eisley. It wasn't of the best living conditions, but he would manage. After accomplishing that goal, his thoughts were allowed to wander back to the events that led up to all of this.

"_I Hate You,_" Those three words felt like spears plunging into his heart. He could sense that Anakin, Vader, or whatever he was now, was still alive. It did not take long for the remaining Jedi to figure out the emperor had saved him. Obi-Wan wished his former padawan had died on that bank. It was hard to tell what state he was in now, or how the galaxy would suffer with his hate and power. To think of it made him tremble. 'And here I am,' he thought. 'Alone in the desert able to do nothing.'

'Oh Obi-Wan, you are far from alone my friend' a voice remarked from thin air.

'Qui-Gon' Obi-Wan whispered in shock.

Seventeen-year- old Ahsoka Tano was having the fight of her life. A few days ago, her master sent her on a solo mission to the planet Najiba. The mission was to quickly and smoothly take out a ring of newbie pirates, and when the council was bringing up names, Anakin had recommended her. She was overjoyed to go especially when she found out she was being sent with the Torrent Company.

The mission had been going fantastically. Anakin had let her take his most recent project; _The Twilight II_, and they made it to Najiba in record time. They cut through a forest in order to get to the pirate's village more stealthily, and camped out near the edge to prepare for the execution of their plan the next day. Around a campfire, they told jokes and stories. Ahsoka hadn't laughed that hard in a long time. The next day, their mission could not have gone more perfectly. The pirates were taken out and the goods were delivered to the people who really needed them. Then, as they were heading back to the campsite, it happened. She was walking slightly ahead of the troopers when Rex's comlink went off. "Execute Order 66."

She was just about to ask what that meant, but as she was turning around the deaths of thousands of Jedi came crashing down on her. She screamed as she felt soul after soul being torn prematurely from the universe. She looked up and was shocked to see the Torrent Company's blasters all pointed at her.

An hour later, and she was beginning to weaken. Her right leg had been shot more than once, and she was tiring from single-handedly taking on twenty clone troopers. She turned on her comlink to send out a long-range signal, hoping someone from the Republic would hear her message.

"This is commander Ahsoka Tano from the 501st legion," she yelled into the comlink while deflecting another onset of bullets. "I'm on Northern Najiba. My troopers have turned on me, and I need assistance! If anyone is out there, PLEASE HELP!

"…PLEASE HELP!"

Obi-Wan gasped as he heard Ahsoka's message. He longed to run to his ship and rush to her aid, but he knew his orders were to stay on Tatooine. Besides, he probably wouldn't make it in time.

'Go to her, my friend.'

Ahsoka felt a pang of guilt every time she reflected a shot to hit a clone. She knew they were programmed to follow orders. She was just wondering whom this one was coming from. She had been shot in the legs, shoulder, cheek, and arm. The pain was unbearable, but she had to keep fighting. Her lightsabers reflected the remaining troopers' well-aimed shots, except Rex's. The other clones did not seem to notice, but it appeared as if Rex was purposefully missing her. 'Did the order not affect him?' Ahsoka asked herself.

Obi-Wan remembered Master Yoda telling him that Qui-Gon was still around to teach him, but it was still hard getting used to communicating with his deceased master.

"It would be risky, and I may be too late."

"Najiba is not far, Obi-Wan, and you can sense she is still alive."

"Master Yoda told me to stay on Tatooine," Obi-Wan argued.

"Do you really think he will know you are leaving? Besides, I do not think he would mind."

Ahsoka screamed as two shots went into her abdomen. She fell to the ground gasping and Rex slowly walked over to her.

"Just do it, Captain!" Coric yelled to him.

Rex kneeled beside her. "Why?" she whispered.

"I'm so sorry, kid," he quietly replied. He took off his helmet, leaned down and kissed her forehead, before putting it back on and aiming his gun at her chest.

"Luke…" Obi-Wan said.

"The babe is safe, my friend. You care too much for Ahsoka to let her fall like this."

Qui-Gon was right. He didn't care about attachment rules anymore. He had watched Ahsoka grow, and he cared for her deeply. He was not about to let the empire take one more person away from him, especially her.

She closed her eyes waiting for it all to be over. Rex pulled the trigger.

"Watch over him, Qui-Gon," Obi-wan spoke as he rushed to his ship and turned on the controls.

"There." Rex said turning back to the few troopers left. "It's done. Let's go."

"I'm coming, little one."


	3. Chapter 2

Ahsoka closed her eyes waiting for it all to be over. She heard a shot and opened her eyes to see the ground beside her singed. Rex was already walking toward the other troopers. "There, it's done," she heard him say. "Let's Go."

It took Obi-Wan longer than he would have liked to get to Najiba. The chaos surrounding the rise of the Empire had already spread throughout the galaxy, even to the Outer Rim. He landed in the Northern Hemisphere, but hated that he had not paid more attention to the precise location given when Ahsoka was assigned the mission. Obi-Wan remembered Master Unduli speaking about the situation and asking for ideas as for whom they could send. Though it was a routine mission, they couldn't send more than one jedi with a group of clones, since the order had been spread so thin. Obi-Wan remembered the pride on Anakin's face as he suggested his padawan receive the mission. He thought she was more then capable of handling the mission, and Obi-Wan did too. Anakin almost seemed relieved when Master Yoda agreed to it. The joy on Ahsoka's face when she received the mission with the Torrent Company made Obi-Wan smile. Anakin later remarked that it would get her out of the slump she was in with her studies. Obi-Wan never thought that this would be what it led to. He reached out with the force, and thankfully felt her weak presence a couple of miles away.

"Hold on, Ahsoka."

Ahsoka was numb. She couldn't yell for help even if she wanted to. Besides, no one would hear her. She wondered if maybe Anakin had felt her distress and was coming for her. She had tried reaching out with the force to him, but was too weak to keep focus. She kept trying to stay positive. If she wasn't going to make it through this, maybe he could help stop whoever was doing this to the galaxy. With that faith, she closed her eyes and waited to be one with the force.

She thought she was hallucinating when she heard footsteps behind her. "Ahsoka," she heard a familiar voice call, but she couldn't place who it was. She could hear the person kneel beside her. "Ahsoka, can you open your eyes for me," the voice said soothingly while placing a hand on her forehead. She managed to gather the strength to open them.

"Very good, my dear," Obi-Wan praised, taking his hand off of her forehead and glancing over her wounds.

"M…Master?" Ahsoka tried to say but all that came out was air.

"Shhh…little one," Obi-Wan replied. "You're going to be alright. Let's get you out of here."

Ahsoka winced and clutched at Obi-Wan's tunic as he lifted her off of the ground bridal-style. He couldn't imagine what pain that simple action inflicted upon her. With her wounds he was surprised with how she was able to hang on so long, and he was determined to get her safe and healed.

As much as it hurt, she was comforted to be in Obi-Wan's arms. She felt her consciousness fading again, but managed to muster up the strength to ask one question.

"Is Anakin dead?" she asked breathily.

"Yes," was the sad reply she heard as her world grew black.

_It was dark. She slid up against the wall and looked back at the clones waiting patiently behind her. Then, she force-scanned the corridor for any remaining droids. When she gave the all clear the clones follow her through the hallway, guns pointed in all directions, using the green light of her lightsabers as a guide. They stopped at a single door with a tiny handle. Just as she reached for it, two super battle droids appeared out of nowhere trapping them. She raised her saber, and the clones split up in a V-formation behind her- Rex guarding her back as always- but the droids didn't move. For minutes they waited in silence, but the droids didn't stir or make a sound. Just as they were about to declare them defective and move on, the droids started firing. "Blast 'em!" Rex shouted and a rainbow of red and blue started flying through the air. She commanded the troopers to take on the one to the back of them as she took the front one head on. It went on for a long time, but eventually she finished off the first, as Rex and a few others were in the process of destroying the second. Just as they were delivering the final blow, the droid leaped over them. Instead of firing bullets, it started shooting electricity. It was no ordinary shock either. 'Force lightning!" she thought. She had never seen anything like it before. 'How did the Sith even figure that out?'_

_Terrified, she quickly yelled at the clones to take cover as she force-jumped and redirected the lightning back at it. She met the droid in the middle of the corridor. She raised her lightsabers, preparing herself for an intense battle, but they flew out of her hands. She risked glancing behind her to see her troopers gone, replaced by more battle droids. She saw her lightsabers had landed only a few feet away. She reached out with the force to get them, but was shocked when they flew the other way. The droid had used the force to retrieve them right before she could. 'How is this happening?' she thought. The droids started moving close, surrounding her, as the one with the force slowly extinguished her lightsabers, eliminating the only source of light. She heard some fidgeting and a click._

_'I'm dead', she thought as she braced herself. 'It's over.' All of a sudden, bright lights dazzled against the now gray walls. She opened her eyes to see the droids were gone. There wasn't even a trace of them. Deathly confused, but thankful her life was spared, she headed back down to the door at the end of the corridor. She shoved it open to see many Jedi just standing, talking, and laughing. The room looked as if it was one of the ones in the temple. 'What are they doing here? Did they not here the fight outside?' Why didn't they help her? "Masters", she started. "What in the galaxy is going on?"_

_"Join the party, Snips." She noticed Anakin was standing right in the middle of things, hands folded behind his back and a warm smile on his face. She got the urge to run up and hug him, but knew she couldn't with all the others around, so she just walked over. She had so many questions, but decided to start with the most basic one. "Master, where are we?" _

_He just laughed. "That's a silly question, but we're in the High Council Chamber."_

_"They're having a party in the High Council Chamber?" she asked. If it was possible to be anymore confused, she was there. _

_"Of course", Anakin replied as if it was a normal thing. He grabbed a tray one of the servant droids had and held it out to her. "Here, take one." She looked at what appeared to be food-colored sugar cookies: green, blue, and red. She took a blue one and noticed everyone seemed to have the cookies in their hands as well. She was just about to take a bite when she noticed Jedi Master Aayla Secura drop to the ground dead. Ahsoka froze, not believing her eyes, but she was the only one. The other Jedi just continued on. They didn't even seem to notice. Then Master Luminara fell, Mace Windu, Shaak Ti Master Plo, and all the other Jedi just dropped like dominoes. Anakin was the only one who seemed to be fine. He had moved away from her, and was now standing in front of one of the center windows, talking with a creepy looking man that had a black hood covering his face. She heard loud footsteps, and the warmly colored walls of the Jedi Temple started turning dark gray. Men in sparkling white uniforms came marching into the room. The bodies of the fallen Jedi disappeared, and she suddenly became very cold._

_Anakin and the other man were still in their place. "Come on Ahsoka", he encouraged. _

_"Yes, young one", the other man said in a snake-like voice, "Join us."_

_"Yes", Anakin said. There was something different about him, but she couldn't quite place it. "Join us. Join us!"_

Ahsoka gasped as her eyes shot open. She was surrounded by water.

Obi-Wan knew he had to hurry if Ahsoka was going to make it. He could feel her presence fading by the minute. He began running through the forest, attempting to keep Ahsoka as still as possible. He was about a mile away when he heard a growl behind him.

'Please don't be a nexu. Please don't be a nexu,' he pleaded to the force.

He turned to see the creature was not a nexu, but a long-necked gundark.

'Fantastic!' he thought sarcastically.

He tried to outrun it, but it was no use. The creature's tongue shot out as it chased them, trying to catch its supper. He knew they would be caught soon if he didn't do something. He spotted a pond on the outskirts of the woods.

'Hang on, little one,' he thought as he clutched her tight and jumped in.

Once they were submerged, the long-necked gundark turned and began searching new grounds. Obi-Wan quickly climbed out and noticed Ahsoka awake and coughing up water.

'Sorry,' Obi-Wan sheepishly apologized. 'We had a bit of a situation.'

Ahsoka just gave a small nod and leaned back against his shoulder, breathing heavy. Obi-Wan spotted some clip beetles crawling by the pond. He knelt down and scooped some up before bolting back to the ship.


	4. Chapter 3

Rex was pacing. Once they returned to the ship, the remaining members of the Torrent Company were sent back to Coruscant to meet with their new leaders. They were about an hour away.

"Well, that happened." Coric spoke the first words since their return to the ship.

"So, what? We're no longer under the command of the Jedi?" Rex asked.

"Well, duh," Boro responded.

"I mean, just like that, we follow this new empire? No questions asked?" Rex snapped back.

"It's necessary," Coric calmly replied. "The Jedi order has been corrupt for a long time. It's about time we move on. Besides, we might as well serve the empire. What else are we going to do?"

"I don't know. It just feels wrong," Rex responded.

"Hey," Joc said, coming up to Rex and putting a hand on his shoulder. "I know having to, well you know, Commander Tano was hard for you, but it's for the best. She would only have suffered had she been spared. I know it's hard to understand now, but you did her justice."

Rex turned back to the controls. "Do you really think this empire is better for the galaxy?" He asked to no one in particular.

"I do," Coric assured him.

As they traveled through Coruscant's atmosphere, they got a good look at all the destruction that had taken place.

"Wow," Joc whispered.

They landed in the hanger of an old clone base, and saw lines of troopers standing at attention. A trooper in plain white armor approached them as they disembarked. "Join the ranks," he ordered. Rex bit his lip, and filed in with the rest. The trooper spoke into his comlink, "The last ones are here. We are clear to begin."

A man in a black robe appeared before the clones.

"Who is that?" Rex whispered to Coric.

"I believe it is the emperor."

"Palpatine?"

"Yes, Sir."

"What happened to his face?" Rex wondered.

"Hello, my loyal troopers," the emperor announced to the crowd. "I know this is a bit sudden, but true goodness and peace has finally come to our galaxy. Our enemies, the Separatists, have been defeated!"

The crowd cheered.

"And our hidden enemies, the ones who fooled us for so long, the ones that forced unjust orders on you all, the Jedi, have been defeated!"

These cheers were louder than the ones before. It sent chills down Rex's spine.

"A new era is upon us. New challenges and triumphs await us all. With all of this new joy, a few changes are necessary. You all served me well in the Republic, and I know that will continue as we begin new lives in the Galactic Empire. That is why no one who is loyal will ever have to worry about being disposed of like droids.

Of course, while there is no more war in our galaxy, violence will continue. This is especially true of those who will have trouble adjusting to this new form of government. I now know better than to rely on an independent institution to be the police for us all. Therefore, each of you will be responsible for maintaining the integrity of our great empire, and keeping our citizen's safe. Many of you have already served your galaxy well by taking out our largest threats. I know it was a shock for everyone that the Jedi betrayed us, especially you. They manipulated you into doing their will, made you think they thought of you as people, and that they were the good guys. The made all of us think that. We must not dwell on these traitors who have caused us such heartache. At the same time, however, we must be wary. The dark magic of the Jedi is powerful. There may be leftovers hiding from us and preparing to strike. That is why, you, as elite imperial soldiers, must constantly be aware of these possible threats. We cannot even allow them the opportunity to destroy this beautiful new government. You will be given your new assignments individually and in groups. To reinforce the unity that will be the binding force holding together our newfound peace, your uniforms will be upgrades and the same. Your missions will be long, and of the upmost performance. I am relying on you, my good men, to maintain order in our adjusting galaxy. It will be rough at first, and you may need to use force. Remember, storms may come with lightning and thunder, but it leaves the world behind it cleansed and pure. Let us now hear your pledge to the Galactic Empire. I swear this sacred oath…"

"I swear this sacred oath…" the troopers answered.

"…that I shall render unconditional obedience to Emperor Palpatine,"

"…that I shall render unconditional obedience to Emperor Palpatine,"

" to exercise every power in service to the Galactic Empire,"

"to exercise every power in service to the Galactic Empire,"

"and shall, whensoever I am asked, be prepared, as a loyal servant,"

"and shall, whensoever I am asked, be prepared, as a loyal servant,"

"to surrender my life for this oath."

"to surrender my life for this oath."

Rex kept his mouth shut the entire time.

"Ahh, very good," Palpatine said proudly. "I will meet with each leader individually later. For now, go loyal Stormtroopers."

A/N: Well, thoughts?


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: There may be some small edits later to this chapter, but I wanted to get this out for you guys tonight. Keep in mind everything that occurred in canon still occurred, aside from Ahsoka's trial arc. Please let me know your thoughts! Happy Easter!

Rex stood anxiously outside of Emperor Palpatine's office door. He knew he had to make that man, or whatever he was now, extremely convinced that he was on the side of the empire, and that Ahsoka was dead. He was hoping the emperor did not notice how he was unlike the other clones. In fact, he was more in control of his thoughts and actions now more than any time in the past.

_When Fives yelled about the Chancellor being corrupted before his death, Anakin took it as delirium or nonsense. Rex, however, couldn't get his mind off of it all. Fives was a good friend that he trusted with his life. As out-of-his-mind as he was, Rex could not shake the nagging feeling that there was truth to his words._

_He had to discover the truth about what happened to Fives, and he knew where to start: Kamino. He approached Coric one evening in the clone mess on Corosaunt._

_"You want to investigate more?" Coric whispered shocked at what the captain was implying._

_"I don't think this was some illness or 'malfunction'," Rex quietly replied. "General Skywalker mentioned awhile back that the Kamonians were a bit hostile toward Shaak Ti while she was there. I know the Jedi have dismissed the whole situation, but I need to know for sure. You should have heard the things Fives was saying. I need to know if there is truth to any of it."_

_"Well, if you're trying to keep this away from the Republic I…I'm not quite sure how exactly you're going to do that. If they find out, they could see it as treason, Captain!"_

_"I know. These past few months have been driving me insane, though. I need to know the truth for my own sanity. I think I know a way to do this without causing a fuss, but we'll have to be extremely cautious…"_  
_"Wait, we?" Coric asked hesitantly._

_"Yes. I need your help to complete this mission, solider. I know its risky and I am not ordering you to help, but as a clone and a doctor aren't you a little curious about what happened? Don't you want to know more?"_  
_Coric contemplated this for a moment and then sighed. "You're right," he admitted. "What's your plan? We need to go to Kamino but, we can't make it look suspicious since the Jedi would not approve."_

_"We have the next week off due to General Skywalker's new Council position, so we have the time, and I think the kid can hook us up with a transport."_

_"You really think Ahsoka will help us?"_  
_"She was away on a mission when the incident happened. I was in the hanger when the general told her about it. She was very upset that the council was not looking into it more. The general had to calm her down."_

_"Her and Fives were close," Coric commented._

_"I think she would be more than willing to help us."_

_"OK, I'll do it," Coric said with confidence. "For Fives."_

_"For Fives," Rex agreed.  
_

Ahsoka groaned as she awakened. She was laying on a bench in the back of Obi-Wan's ship, and she could see through the window that they were in hyperspace.

"Master," Ahsoka tried to call, but her voice was still scratchy and it sounded more like a glorified whisper. She was thankful that he came through the doorway not a minute later.

"Oh good, I thought I sensed you awake. Of course, the Force is still quite clouded," Obi-Wan greeted sadly. He came closer and pulled back her blankets to look her over. She turned red when she realized the Jedi master had stripped her to her undergarments.

"What are those?" she quietly asked, noticing the fine lines where some of her blaster wounds were.

"I was quite low on bacta. Thankfully, I found some clip beetles during our pond incident. Their silk works great as stiches. Your wounds are coming along nicely," Obi-Wan explained, placing his hand on her forehead. He gave a small smile. "And your fever is beginning to fade. How are you feeling?"  
"It hurts," she answered, attempting to sit up.

"I figured," Obi-Wan commented, grabbing another pillow to support her. He walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a pitcher and glass. He poured and brought her over a drink. "Here," he said holding out the cup to her. "It's an old Qui-Gon Jin pain remedy. It should help with your voice too. She tasted it and gave him a suspicious look.

"Is there alcohol in this?"

"I won't tell anyone," he smiled before realizing the significance of his words. There may not be anyone to tell.

There was an awkward silence.

"I don't know what hurts worse: my wounds or the fact that my own troopers caused them," Ahsoka commented.

"It was sudden," Obi-Wan agreed.

"What…Why…How?" Ahsoka wasn't even sure where to begin with the questions.

"I wish I had more answers for you, my dear. All I know is that the clones were under a command higher than the Order. There numbers overwhelmed us all, and led to many losses, as well as the loss of the Republic."

"You…" Ahsoka's voiced cracked. "You said Anakin was dead, but I can still sense him," Ahsoka said, closing her eyes. "It's clouded, though," she commented. "What happened to him?" she asked, looking him in the eye. He walked over and sat beside her, sighing.

"Where do I begin?" he asked, putting an arm around the now fragile padawan.


	6. Chapter 5

A/N: I'm so sorry for anyone desperately confused due to the repeat of ch. 4. Here's #5!

Disclaimer: I realize I haven't been keeping up with these, but I promise I do not own any Star Wars characters and/or plot lines that are incorporated into this story. I'm just a fan having fun.

_Rex and Coric approached the Jedi Temple's main hanger loading dock to see Ahsoka and Anakin working on a new cargo ship. They appeared to be arguing about a mechanical part, and shortly after Anakin walked across the hanger to a bin of other ship parts to examine. The two clones saw this as the perfect opportunity to speak to their commander privately. _

_ "Commander Tano!" Coric called out as they approached her._

_ "Hey, Kid," Rex greeted._

_ "Hey boys," Ahsoka responded smiling. "What are you doing here?"_

_ "We need to talk to you," Rex said in a low voice._

_ "Oh, OK," Ahsoka said, not catching on. "General Skywalker should be back over in a minute but if it's urgent I can go…"_

_ "NO!" both Rex and Coric quickly interrupted._

_ "We need to talk to you," Rex explained, "alone."_

_ "Okaayy…" Ahsoka said confused. "Here," she said opening up the door to the new vessel. "We can talk in here."_

_ Rex and Coric were quite surprised with the beauty of the ship's interior._

_ "Well, this is nice," Rex commented._

_ "Yeah, we've really been working hard on it. After the incident on Mandalore, Obi-Wan agreed to help pay for Anakin's next "toy," and he is taking full advantage of it."_

_ "Anyway," Coric began. "We were wondering if you could help us secure a transport."_

_ "Transport? Where exactly are you guys planning to go?"  
"Kamino."_

_ "Considering we are talking in an unfinished ship, I'm assuming this isn't for any kind of authorized mission," Ahsoka commented._

_ "We're investigating the clone inhibitor chips," Rex said. _

_ "The Jedi Council and Senate both agreed to close that investigation. They didn't find anything major. According to Master Ti, they were just anti-aggression chips. A virus led to the malfunction in Tup's chip, and Fives' hallucinated because he had his removed."_

_ "We want to quietly reopen the investigation, just the two of us," Coric said._

_ "We just want to be sure everything was taken care of. It will put the rest of the men at ease to know that some of their own checked it out," Rex explained._

_ "To be honest, I've been suspicious about the chips too, but it would be considered treason if the Republic found out you were investigating this when we were all given orders to not."_

_ "We need to do this, Ahsoka." Rex pleaded. "All we need is a transport. You can say we lied about it if they find out you helped us." _

_ "No," Ahsoka responded. "No, I am going with you. If the Jedi think this was my idea, you guys will be practically off the hook. What they'd do to me doesn't compare to what they'd do to you if you go it alone." _

_ "I appreciate that, commander, but the farther from this you are, the better," Coric replied._

_ "But…"_

_ "No buts, kid. I don't want you near this," Rex cut in. "Besides, I think it would be more suspicious if you disappeared with us. Especially, after your previous disappearances with various senators."_

_ "That's true. I just don't like you guys risking this…"_

_ "We'll be fine," Rex assured her. "You'll get us that transport?"_

_ "Sure," Ahsoka reluctantly replied. "Meet me in here later tonight. I'll com you when everything's set."_

_ "Thank you," both clones replied. They exited the ship._

_ "What are you guys doing here?" Anakin questioned as he came over with an armful of parts. _

_ "Oh, we were just…" Rex faded off as he wondered what to say. Thankfully, Ahsoka cut in._

_ "They were stopping through to ask a question about the latest shipping regulations and they saw your new baby."_

_ "She's beautiful isn't she," Anakin smiled looking up at the ship._

_ "Wonderful, General," Coric complemented._

_ "You should be very proud," Rex added._

_ "Glad you like it, but you guys should get back to the others. The Torrent Company shouldn't be left unsupervised," Anakin joked._

_ "You're right. I will see you later, General," Rex said._

_ "See you, General. Congratulations on your new position. Thanks again for the tour Commander," Coric said. _

_ "You're welcome," Ahsoka replied._

_ Anakin nodded to them as they departed. He then turned to his padawan and gestured to the ship parts._

_ " Now, one of these has to work." _

Ahsoka was shaking uncontrollably. She had never felt so horrible in her life. Obi-Wan had just made it to the part of the story where Padme died on the operating table. Ahsoka had fallen onto his chest when Anakin was burning on the hillside. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she felt like she was going to be sick. Obi-Wan took a deep breath and just held the girl close for a moment. He knew he had just shattered what was left of her world, but he knew lying to her would only make things worse.

"How long?" Ahsoka spoke up suddenly, slightly shifting out of Obi-Wan's embrace.

"How long what?" he pondered.

"How long has he been on this path? How long as Anakin been on the other side?" She angrily asked.

Obi-Wan quickly shifted to grip her shoulders and look her in the eye.

"Anakin has never been on the other side, Ahsoka. You have to realize that," He said firmly, yet gently. "When I told you Anakin was dead, I was not lying. The Dark Side consumed every part of Anakin Skywalker and turned him into a puppet and a monster. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master." Ahsoka whispered.

"Good. You must not lose faith in the Force, young one. As difficult as things have become, we must not let it consume us. We have to prevail."

"What about the babies? Where are they?" Ahsoka asked.

"They are safe. The girl, Leia, is being adopted by Senator Organa and his wife and the boy, Luke, has been taken in by Anakin's step-brother and his wife on Tatooine."

"So…they've been separated? They're all each other had."

"It's for their safety, and they are not alone. They are with good people who love them, and they have us."

"Where are we going, Master?" Ahsoka asked.

"We are almost to Tatooine. That's where we will stay for a while. We must be careful, my dear. The Temple has been destroyed, and the Order disbanded. The Empire will have bounties on us."

"Luke." Ahsoka said, leaning back on Obi-Wan.

"Yes, what about him?" Obi-Wan pondered.

"Can I see him?" Ahsoka asked looking up at him with tear-filled eyes.

"I think that can be arranged", Obi-Wan said as he cradled her in his arms.

************************************************************************************  
So, how's it coming along? Things are really going to start moving soon, but I felt it was necessary to explore what these characters are going through. Until next time!


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own anything with any connection to the Star Wars universe.

I_t was the middle of the night when Ahsoka commed Rex to retrieve the transport. He quickly woke up Coric and they snuck out of the barracks to head to the Jedi Temple. Ahsoka had the door open and was standing next to a small ship. "That does not look like a Jedi transport," Coric commented._

_"I couldn't manage to get one since I haven't been assigned on a mission. We're spread so thin right now, there's no way they would just give me one. This is Senator Amidala's. She let me borrow it. Anakin doesn't know."_

_"Does she know what its being used for?" Rex inquired._

_"Kinda. I wasn't specific, but she trusts me. Just please try to bring it back in one piece."_

_"I don't know if I'm comfortable with this," Coric said._

_"It'll be fine," Rex responded, putting the ships ramp down and hopping on. "Give our thanks to the senator, Kid. We'll have it back soon as we can."_

_"I know. Please be careful," Ahsoka said with a worried voice._

_"We will be," Rex said with an assuring smile._

_"Thanks again, Commander," Coric said before reluctantly walking up the ramp into Padme's ship._

_Rex closed the ramp and headed to the controls._

_"When is the last time you flew a ship of this size?" Coric questioned him._

_"When you're close with General Skywalker, you know how to fly just about anything," Rex replied. He gestured to the seat beside him. "C'mon copilot. I'll show you how it's done."Coric rolled his eyes and sat down._

_"Medics," Rex chuckled as he lifted the ship off the ground and out of the atmosphere._

_Hours later they arrived on Kamino. As the two exited the ship, Shaak Ti greeted them. "Captain Rex, this is a pleasant surprise."_

_"Morning General," Rex replied. "We are here to check on the new cadets."_

_"I didn't here of anyone being assigned for that," Master Ti said suspiciously._

_"We weren't officially assigned here," Coric quickly replied. "But the 501st is practically out of commission for the time being, and we were given permission by General Skywalker to check out our future."_

_"We were bored," Rex added, acting sheepish._

_Shaak Ti just chuckled. "Well, we could use some fresh faces around here. Come on in."_

_The two relieved clones turned to go into the main tower. "You know," Master Ti began, "that does not look like a typical Republic transport."_

_"Senator Amidala wanted to express her appreciation to the 501st for all of our service to her throughout the years. It was a gift," Rex said._

_"Somehow, I believe that," Shaak Ti smiled._

_Later that evening, Coric snuck into the med bay. Other medical clones waved and nodded at him as he casually walked through the halls toward the room of medical records. Once there, he logged onto a machine to access the 501st records for the past year. He was shocked to find that no record of Tup or Fives being listed. He was about the search the entire medical database when Nala Se entered._

_"Trooper, what are you doing?"_

_"Um… I was just accessing my legion's records. I got report of a sick clone back on Corosaunt, and since I was here already, I figured I would make sure he had no prior conditions that could cause complications."_

_"I'm sure the doctors on Corosaunt could have handled it," Se replied a little curtly. "Did you at least find what you were looking for?"_  
_"Yes, I did. He was here for medical attention, but it was nothing related to his current illness."_

_"Good to here," Se said plastering a smile on her face._

_"Good night," Coric said quickly leaving the room. Nala Se watched him suspiciously as he left._

_Coric strolled down the corridor and burst into the temporary quarters he and Rex shared._

_"What's wrong?" Rex asked from a bunk, noticing the relieved expression on the troopers face as the door closed._

_"The records of Tup and Fives' visit are not with the rest of ours."_

_"They're hiding it?" Rex asked._

_"Either that or they put those in a special file. Either way, I'm afraid we couldn't get to them without setting off alarms. Nala Se caught me looking into our files, and I have a feeling she's paranoid about us finding something. We know how guarded this place has been since…it happened. Those records would be under lock-and-key, if they even still exist. I'm afraid we're not going to have much luck figuring this whole thing out." Coric said, defeated._

_After a few moments of silence, Rex abruptly stood and walked over to Coric. "Yes, we will. The records wouldn't have been our best shot anyway. We need to look into what Fives was telling us about the chips. Encounter it for ourselves."_

_"What exactly do you mean?" Coric asked._

_"Cut me open, see if a chip is there, and if so remove it."_  
_"Are you insane?!" Coric replied. "You saw what happened to Tup and Fives! How could you even think that doing the procedure on you would be a good thing?"_

_"Keep your voice down. We don't know what will happen. This is the only way to learn the truth." Rex calmly replied._

_"We do already know that after Tup had his removed, he died. After Fives had his removed, he went delusional and was killed. How do you know that you will not suffer a similar fate."_  
_"I'll take my chances. I'll do anything to find out the truth."_

_"What am I to say if I come back without you? Or worse, if the Kamonians or Ti find you dead?"_

_"You're a smart man, improvise," Rex stated simply._

_"I won't do it, Captain. The 501st needs you." Coric argued._

_"I rank above you, Coric. I will order you." Rex firmly replied._

_"Fine I'll do it, but I will not take responsibility for whatever happens."_

_"That's all I ask."_

Ahsoka sat in the Lars' front room recliner with Obi-Wan and Owen on an adjacent couch. Owen was filling Obi-Wan in on some secrets of surviving life on Tatooine. Beru was getting Luke, who had just woken up from a nap.

"She's wanted a child for as long as I've known her," Owen commented. "She's a natural."

Ahsoka didn't know why she was nervous, but she was. This was Anakin and Padme's child. One of two pieces of them she could hold onto. Beru walked into the room, gently bouncing the bundle of newborn in her arms. "Ahsoka," she said, smiling, "Meet Luke Skywalker." She handed the bundle down to Ahsoka. As she supported the baby in her arms, the first thing Ahsoka noticed were big blue eyes that belonged entirely to his father. She fought back the emotion as the eyes turned up to look at her with curiosity. The baby smiled at her, which caused tears of joy to stream down her face as she returned the gesture. Obi-Wan stood from the sofa and came to them, sitting on the arm of the recliner and wrapping his arm around her. He smiled down at Luke as well.

"Hello, Luke." Ahsoka said softly to the cooing infant.

"Hello, hope," Obi-Wan said so only she and the baby could hear.

After an evening of talking, dinner, and cuddling Luke, Beru had insisted the former Jedi stay the night. Normally, Obi-Wan would have kindly declined, but it was a long walk back to town and as much as she was trying to hide it, he could sense Ahsoka was in pain. He made sure to borrow a few painkillers from Beru, but as soon as the woman found out about the extent of Ahsoka's injuries, she packed them a potluck of different medical supplies. He gave Ahsoka the guest room to sleep in, and took the front room couch for himself.

Not long after he had settled into sleep did a large roar from the sky awaken him. He ran outside to see what had to be Imperial ships flying over the desert toward Mos Eisley. He rushed back in to see Owen and Ahsoka in the front room. "What is it?" Owen asked. Beru entered the room comforting a crying Luke. Obi-Wan walked over and put a hand on the infant's head. "The Empire," he responded.

A/N: I don't know how many of you watch Star Wars Rebels, but did you see that trailer for season 2?! Also, it was great to see the new teaser for "The Force Awakens" this weekend as well! This week, I'd love for you guys to post in the reviews the one thing from at least one of the new trailers you are most excited about.

Until Next Time,

Bluejay


	8. Chapter 7

A/N: Sorry this is later than usual as well as the mix-up with this chapter. Much thanks whoever pointed that out! I also noticed there was some confusion regarding the Rex storyline. In the past few chapters, he has been flashing back to the reasons he is in his current situation. To clear this up, I have placed all the flashbacks in Italics. Also, this chapter may seem a little short, but it's all building to the next, larger one. Thanks to all who reviewed! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: It's Disney and Lucasfilm's playground. I just play in it.

"What are going to do?" asked Beru, frantically.

"We are going to remain calm. " Obi-Wan replied. "We do not know their purpose for being here yet. It could have nothing to do with us. I will go to town and see what I can find out."

"No offense, Kenobi, but since you're supposed to be dead right now, why don't I go to town?" Owen suggested. "Besides I know the people better."

"He has a point," Ahsoka said.

Obi-Wan sighed. "Be cautious," he suggested.

"Yes, please be careful," Beru said hugging him with one arm, holding Luke securely in the other.

"I won't be long," Owen promised, kissing her forehead. He nodded at the two Jedi as he grabbed a bag and headed out the door.

Obi-Wan turned to the women. "I'm going to go ahead and feed him while he's awake," Beru said gesturing to Luke.

"I'll keep watch from here," Obi-Wan said positioning a chair behind one of the front windows of the house. Beru nodded, and went into the kitchen.

"What do I need to do?" Ahsoka asked. Obi-Wan looked at the weary girl, still quite battered from her recent clone encounter.

"Try to get some more rest," Obi-Wan replied. "I'll let you know if anything exciting happens."

Ahsoka almost opened her mouth to protest, but Obi-Wan gave her a look that shut it down. She was too exhausted to argue with the man, anyway, and slowly walked back to the guest room. Obi-Wan watched her leave and then took his post.

It was little more than an hour later when Owen burst back into the house. "Everyone in here!" he shouted before Obi-Wan could say anything.

Ahsoka and Beru ran into the room.

"What is it?" Beru asked.

"There are clones going around with the town leader to every house in the area. They claim they are "updating the census." They are taking record of all who are on the planet."

"The town leader will know we did not have a child!" Beru cried.

"The clones will know us," Ahsoka said, sadly looking to Obi-Wan.

"Maybe there's someway we could hide. Pretend we're not home until they're gone." Owen suggested.

"No." Obi-Wan sighed. "If you aren't here, they'll get suspicious."

There was a defeated silence in the room.

"Who was in-charge?" Ahsoka suddenly asked.

"What do you mean?" Owen responded.

"Were you able to find out if there were just clones here, or was someone else leading them?" She asked.

"It seemed that there was a clone in charge," Owen replied.

"What if we left?" she suggested, looking to Obi-Wan.

"What do you mean exactly by 'we'?" he replied.

"You, me, and Luke. We could go into the desert or somewhere for a little while the clones scope the place out."

"Not a bad plan," Obi-Wan complimented. "But I hesitate to take the baby- and you too, for that matter- out to such conditions. We also don't even know how long they'll be here."

"Besides, don't you already have an apartment in the city, Obi-Wan?" Beru added. "Won't they be suspicious if you aren't there?"

"Eh, most of those are black-market. I can't see a landlord easily admitting much about them, including how many residents." Owen replied.

"Besides, I know the man saw me leave the other day, and I haven't been back since I got Ahsoka." Obi-Wan added.

"We can take care of Luke," Ahsoka assured Obi-Wan.

"I'm still concerned about you," Obi-Wan replied.

"I feel fine," Ahsoka lied.

Obi-Wan looked at her skeptically. After a moment, he sighed. "I can't think of a better option. We'll leave immediately."

"We have a tent you can use, and water." Owen mentioned.

"Thank you," Obi-Wan replied. They quickly packed up the necessary supplies, and attached them to a speeder the Lars' were lending them. Ahsoka gently lifted Luke out of Beru's arms. "Don't worry," she assured the nervous aunt, "We'll have him back in no time."

_Rex opened his eyes. To his surprise, he was in a Republic medical bay, with not Coric, but Ahsoka looking down at him. "What the…" he began softly._

"_What is wrong with you?!" Ahsoka interrupted._

"_What even happened?!" Rex asked, shocked. "Where's Coric?"_

"_Coric is explaining to Anakin and the Jedi Council why his Captain arrived back on Corosaunt half-dead!" She yelled._

"_Why are we back on Corosaunt?" Rex asked. The last thing he remembered was being on an operating table on Kamino.  
"You were half-dead!" Ahoska repeated, ignoring the question._

"_Wait, Coric isn't telling them…" Rex began.  
"You were being cocky on an open training course, and tried to do it without a helmet. You fell and suffered a major head injury." Ahsoka cut in._

"_Well, I, uh, didn't mean to be reckless, I…" he began to reply.  
"I know what really happened!" she interrupted._

_There was silence._

"_I needed to do it." Rex finally spoke._

"_Oh, oh, OK. 'I saw Fives killed by this, and I know the only other guy who had this operation done died too, so I think I'll do it!'" She yelled, her voice heavy with sarcasm. _

"_It was the only way to find out the truth! Didn't you want to know the truth?!" he defended. _

"_I wanted you two to go and investigate; to see if you could find something that they didn't see before, or was covered up. I did not want you to attempt suicide! How is this going to help you figure out what the chip is for?"_

"_It could be analyzed. We could see what's on it," he argued._

"_You know it already has been analyzed. No one has been able to crack the code, aside from the Kamonians, and they already gave an explanation." Ahsoka replied._

"_What if they were hiding something? Rex pointed out. Ahsoka was silent. "Come on, you know it's possible."_

"_Rex… you could die," she said softly, reaching for his hand._

"_I know, but if I don't, and anything else happens, we'll know what that chip really does." He argued._

"_Yeah, but is it really worth it?" she asked._

"_Yes, " he said with certainty, "and I need you to promise not to tell anyone the truth about this, especially General Skywalker."_

"_I'm not sure if I can do that, Rex," Ahsoka admitted. "I don't want to lose you." _

"_Please, Kid…" he begged, "Please."_

_At this point Anakin entered the wing. Ahsoka squeezed Rex's hand before quickly walking past her master and out of the building._

A/N: By the way, my favorite moments from the trailers were Rex coming back (Rebels), and Han and Chewie (TFA).

Until Next Time,

Bluejay


	9. Author's Note 2

Hi, friends. I just wanted to let you know that despite my best efforts, the next chapter(s) will not be posted this weekend. I have a lot of big exams coming up and need to focus on that first. I also need to make sure the chapters are done right. You can expect a new chapter or two next Saturday (5-9). Have a great week!-Bluejay


	10. Chapter 8

A/N: Yes, it's late. It took me longer than I thought to get this chapter right. Thank you to everyone that has read and reviewed so far! It means the world to me.

Disclaimer: All characters and references belong to Disney/Lucasfilm. Unfortunately, they're only mine in my dreams (:

Obi-Wan kept a close eye on padawan and baby as he set up the tent. They had traveled by speeder all day to the point where they could no longer clearly sense any civilization. There were no caves, plants, or any daytime animals around, and he felt they were safe from any clone that may be looking for them. Ahsoka had been looking worse and worse all day. Despite her wounds healing, her trauma was still fresh, and she had not been able to have a proper recovery. His worry was that her exhaustion, the sand, and the heat would cause her fever to return. She was persevering, however; doing her best to help Obi-Wan keep track of their route, as well as take care of Luke. In fact, she hadn't put the infant down since his aunt relinquished hold of him. Obi-wan knew it was helping with her inner healing, so he didn't comment. Ever since she first saw the baby, it seemed like a little bit of light had come back to her eyes. He also knew it would be useless to pick an argument with the stubborn teenager over any matter at the moment. She was currently sitting against a large pack of supplies, feeding Luke a bottle.

When the tent was finished, Obi-Wan noticed the suns were beginning to set. He gathered some wood he had borrowed from the Lars' and began to prepare a fire. As he was finishing with the base logs, he instinctively began to reach out with the force to grab some more, before quickly catching himself. "In case you haven't thought of this already," Obi-Wan began, turning to Ahsoka. "No using the force. While it appears to be only clones here, we need to be careful just in case."

"Don't worry, I haven't quite had the strength to try using it yet. " she replied. "I haven't really wanted too, anyway," she added quietly.

Obi-Wan caught that last part but she changed the subject before he could bring it up. "What's for dinner?"

"I don't know," he responded, letting it go for now. "What don't you open up the bag Beru gave us and choose something?"

Ahsoka carefully laid Luke on her lap and pulled the supplies bag around to her. After a minute of looking through it, she pulled two containers out. "Arisha and flatbread?" she suggested.

"Sounds fine to me," Obi-Wan replied.

They prepared the food and ate in silence around the fire. As the sky grew dark, Obi-Wan moved the supplies inside, while Ahsoka prepared a makeshift crib for Luke. Obi-Wan couldn't help noticing as she discretely consumed more pain medication. As he dragged the last of the supplies into the tent, she approached him.

"I can take the first watch."

"I appreciate the offer, but I think I should." Obi-Wan replied.

"I'm not very tired." Ahsoka argued. "Besides, you need to rest too."

"I will, my dear, but you need it more." Obi-Wan responded, as he took his post. "I will wake you in a few hours."

Knowing the battle was lost, Ahsoka started toward the tent.

"Master?" she said, turning to him again.

"Yes?" Obi-Wan responded.

"I realized I haven't said this yet. Thank you for saving me."

Obi-Wan smiled at her. "You're welcome, Padawan."

_**She was in a courtyard. On both sides of her were two bird-like creatures. One was dark as night, while the other was filled with angelic light. 'Mortis,' she thought. **_

_**The Son and the Daughter began to fight brutally, floating through the air, intertwined, with claws and teeth gnashing at each other. Ahsoka tried to do something, but they were too high for her to reach. Suddenly, the Son overpowered the Daughter and they crashed to the ground; he on top of her. His claws rested right over her heart. Ahsoka ignited her lightsabers and raced over. The Son gave an evil grin and lifted his claw. Ahsoka sliced the dark bird in two. Once the Son was dead on the ground, Ahsoka kneeled next to the Daughter, who opened her eyes and grinned at her. Suddenly, Ahsoka sensed an overwhelmingly dark presence. The Daughter's eyes began to narrow, and Ahsoka instinctively ignited her lightsaber again, slicing through the daughter. She shook as the realization of what she had just done began to sink in. She heard a joyous laugh behind her. **_

_**She turned and Anakin smiled at her. **_

"_**Well done, my apprentice."**_

Ahsoka woke up with a gasp as Obi-Wan entered the tent. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"No," she whispered, shaking uncontrollably. Obi-Wan sat down beside her. "What was it about?" he asked, concerned.

"Me," she said, voice cracking. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I was on Mortis, and I killed the Son and Daughter to Anakin's delight. "

Obi-Wan tried his best to hide his shock.

"Well…" he began. "It's normal for all that's happened lately to affect our dreams. I wouldn't let it get to you."  
"It was more than a dream," Ahsoka argued. "It was like some twisted premonition…like the first one."

"The first one?" Obi-Wan asked, confused. "You mean you've had this kind of nightmare before?"

"Yes, but it was strange in a different way. The first one ended with Anakin wanting me to join him. In the second one, it was almost as if I already had."  
"You said earlier that you did not want to use the force. Is this why?" Obi-Wan inquired. Ahsoka sighed, and there was a moment of silence.

"What if I end up like him?" Ahsoka finally responded quietly. "I was his padawan. We were matched together by the Force. I took all of his lessons to heart. What if there is darkness in me too?"

"Ahsoka," Obi-Wan replied. "I think your worry about this shows that it will not happen."

"Not necessarily," Ahsoka argued. "Anakin worried about it too. If we were meant to be master and apprentice, then maybe I was meant to follow him."

"Anakin had attachment problems." Obi-Wan argued.

"So do I," Ahsoka admitted.

"Ahsoka you may have been Anakin's apprentice, but I was his master. It was _his_ actions and attachments that caused his downfall, nothing more." Obi-Wan assured.

"He was the Chosen One… at least that's what you said. How can the Chosen One turn to the dark side?" she pressed.

"People thought of him as the Chosen One Ahsoka, that doesn't mean he was. Jedi sometimes turn to the dark side. Like I said, attachments…"

"Satine." Ahsoka interrupted.

"Excuse me?" Obi-Wan questioned, shocked at the mention of the former duchess.

"You have attachment issues too. You loved her. Everyone knew it, and you saved me." She replied.

"You were in danger!" he argued.

"You had orders to stay, and you came for me. We both have attachment issues, just like him!" Ahsoka proclaimed.

"Ahsoka, you don't know what you're talking about!," Obi-Wan fought. "You are not going to turn to the dark side. You can make your own choices. Everyone has choices. Yes, we are influenced by our Masters. They teach us about the force, and guide us. In the end, however, it is how we use that guidance that defines us."

"Well, you influenced Anakin!" Ahsoka blurted.

Obi-Wan's face fell, and there was a heavy silence in the tent.

"Master…" she began softly, regretting her words.

"I'm going to go for a walk," Obi-Wan said shakily. "I trust you can keep watch for a little while."

"Of course, but Master I…" she began.

"Don't worry, Padawan, I'll be back." He said calmly, exiting the tent and wandering out into the desert.

An hour later, Ahsoka had just finished feeding Luke when a huge gust of wind slammed the outside of the tent. She laid the baby down and opened the flap. She had to shield her eyes from the swirling sand.

A/N: I should be more on schedule now that school craziness is over. Please Review!

Have a wonderful week!

-Bluejay


	11. Chapter 9

A big thank you to all of you who have patiently waited while a got my life together! I made sure this chapter was extra long because you guys deserve it.

Disclaimer: Though it's been awhile, I still own nothing but the plot.

Obi-Wan wondered out from the tent into the cold night.

'She's wrong,' he kept telling himself. 'She's wrong.'

Deep down, however, he couldn't help knowing Ahsoka was right. He _was_ Anakin's master. How could he not have prevented this?

The wind blew through his hair as his steps sunk into the sand. He walked for a while, taking deeps breaths in an attempt to calm his anger and anxiety. The night was peaceful and he wished to meditate, but knew it was unwise to use the Force at all with people searching the planet. Besides, he did need to get back to Ahsoka and Luke. He turned around.

'I shouldn't have let her get to me,' he thought regrettably. 'She didn't mean to be harsh. She had a nightmare. She was scared and not thinking straight. I should have been more understanding. She _did_ have a point.'

As he scolded himself, he noticed the wind becoming harsher and sand beginning to lift off of the ground. Obi-Wan began to quicken his pace, knowing that a sandstorm was likely to occur. As he navigated between two sand dunes, he began to hear shuffling nearby. Fearing that Ahsoka was out looking for him, he climbed to the top of one to survey the area. It was then he saw the three banthas speeding toward him, and the masked men riding them with swords. He knew Tusken Raiders when he saw them.

'My luck can't get any worse,' he thought.

As they got close, one swung his staff and Obi-Wan ducked and jumped back in-between the dunes. He ignited his lightsaber and jumped into the air slashing one of the banthas in the neck, causing it to fall over. The sand began swirling higher, and the wind began to become fierce. Another raider jumped off of his bantha and attempted to stab Obi-Wan in the chest. Obi-Wan swung his lightsaber through the staff, dismantling it. The third raider caught Obi-Wan off guard, knocking him onto the ground from behind and pinning him down. The others joined, standing over him.

At this point, the swirling sand had turned into a full on sand storm. His lightsaber had fallen and been blown out of reach. Panicked, he reached out with the force, hoping to draw his weapon to him. Unfortunately for him it wasn't coming quick enough. After a moment of arguing with the others, the Tusken ignited its staff. Refusing to give up, he closed his eyes and let go of his fear. He surrounded himself with the force and its power surged through him. He then unleashed it to his surroundings. The wind picked up, and he could feel the sand coating his skin. When he opened his eyes, the Tuskens were sprawled out far in the distance. The tops of their staffs were sticking out of the sand. Obi-Wan stood and, feeling recharged, fought the pounding storm to make it back to the tent.

Ahsoka laid on her sleeping bag with tears brimming her eyes. She was sure something had happened to Obi-Wan. The Jedi Master had been gone far too long, and had no shelter from the storm. She reached over, took Luke from his makeshift crib, and held him close.

"If only I hadn't opened my mouth without thinking…" She was cut off by a loud scratching noise against the tent. Someone was desperately trying to pry it open. Fearing the worst, she stood with Luke tightly in one arm and her lightsaber in the other.

"Ahsoka!" Obi-Wan screamed. She immediately put both down and opened the tent. Sand blew in rapidly as the man entered. She shut the tent and hugged him.

"Thank the force you're alright! Master, I am so sorry. I didn't mean what I said. I just…"  
Obi-Wan hushed her and broke the embrace, giving her a large smile. "Do you know what the difference between us and Vader is?"

"What?" Ahsoka asked, surprised the battered Jedi wished to continue their earlier conversation.

"He gave into his fear, hate, and bitterness. As long as we don't, nothing can stop us from taking back the galaxy. I no longer just believe that, I know that."

"OK," Ahsoka replied. "I know those things lead to the dark side. What I don't understand is how you know we can take the galaxy back, I mean..."

"There may be few of us left," Obi-Wan interrupted, "but the Force is on the side of the Jedi. I'm ashamed that as a Jedi Master, I did not realize it sooner. A dark time has come to the galaxy, and we have let our own pain and anger keep us from seeing that better days will come, so long as we let them. We have to let go of the thoughts that cloud our judgment, and focus on the achieving those days ahead with our strength and the Force on our side."

Ahsoka had a contemplative look on her face that soon faded into a smile. "Wow," she said. "That was a speech worthy of Master Yoda."

Obi-Wan chuckled. "Why, thank you, I do."

Both laughed wholeheartedly, releasing the tension that had built up in their hearts and minds. Ahsoka suddenly reached out to grip the side of the tent. Remembering her situation, Obi-Wan became concerned. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," Ahsoka said after a moment, letting go and shaking her head. "I just got a little dizzy."

"Rest," Obi-Wan ordered. "I'll keep watch until we get the all-clear from the Lars'."

"Are you sure? You look pretty worn out" Ahsoka commented.

"Looks can be deceiving my dear," Obi-Wan replied. "I feel better than I have in a long time."

Hours later, Owen commed Obi-Wan with news that the Empire had left the planet, and that it was safe to return to the Moisture Farm.

"Just be careful," he advised.

Early the next morning, they were back. Beru was more than happy to hold her nephew again, though Ahsoka found it hard relinquish him.

"They brought lists of all the Jedi yet to be accounted for." Owen informed them. "You two are near the top; just under a 'Yoda'. It has pictures of everyone, and they're offering a hefty bounty to those able to turn you in dead or alive." Ahsoka reached out and took the list, examining it.

"They must be taking these around the systems." Obi-Wan said. "With all the clones, they could distribute these to everyone pretty efficiently."

"We're done for," Ahsoka said.

"Am I hearing negativity?" Obi-Wan questioned her.

"No," Ahsoka sighed, "honesty. They got into the records and have our most recent pictures. Plus, the bounty for us is too good for anyone to pass up."

Obi-Wan thought.

"You'll definitely have to move out of the city." Owen said.

"Yes," Obi-Wan replied. "We'll have to change our appearance and identities as well."

"Just tell me the things you need and I'll send Owen to fetch them," Beru said.

"OK. Thank you," Ahsoka replied. Obi-Wan could sense she was uneasy about the situation.

"I'm going to go put away the speeder," Owen said, heading toward the door.

"I can help," Ahsoka said.

"No, that's alright, but thanks," Owen said, giving her a smile before exiting the house.

"You two just need to relax. I'm going to put Luke down to sleep and put some food on the stove," Beru said, leaving the room herself.

Obi-Wan sat down on the couch and patted the spot beside him. Ahsoka sat down.

"What is it, padawan?" he asked.

"Nothing, really. I mean I understand why we have to change our identities. It's just weird that we're pretending to be different people. Hiding ourselves, for who knows how long."

"I know, but like I said, look ahead." Obi-Wan told her.

"I know," she replied.

Later that day, Owen was out shopping and Beru was talking with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka about name changes.

"Have fun with it! You can choose any name in the book," she encouraged as the two Jedi stared at a list of possibilities they had made.

"It's hard," Ahsoka complained. "This decision seems so final. I now know what parents go through. I don't know what suits me other than 'Ahsoka.'"

"Come on, didn't you ever imagine about having a different name as a child?" Beru asked.

"The only other thing I ever wanted to be called was 'Jedi Knight," Ahsoka replied.

"Ben," Obi-Wan replied.

"Well, I know I'm not a 'Ben'," Ahsoka replied, giving Obi-Wan a confused look.

"Not for you, for me. I'm going to go by Ben."

"Ben Kenobi. I like it," Beru said.

"Me too," Ahsoka agreed. "How'd you come up with it?"

"I found out a while ago that I had a brother named Ben. It always felt right to use his name if I could not use my own. Since it had meaning to it, I could always remember it on intense undercover missions." He replied.

Ahsoka thought. "Suna," she replied. "We were best friends as younglings but she caught a disease on a clan trip and died before she could become a padawan. She was one of the kindest and most compassionate people I've ever known. I'll take her name."

"I think that's a marvelous idea," Obi-Wan complemented.

"Me too," Beru replied. "Well Suna and Ben, all you have left is to find a look."

A few hours later, Suna and Ben were giggling like children playing dress-up, as they put on various clothing items. They also thought other differences they could make to themselves with the products Owen had retrieved.

"You could do something drastic like flowers," Ben joked as Suna thought of ways to change her facial markings.

"Oh, yeah," she said sarcastically. "No, it has to be something simple so I can paint them on the same way every day, and blend it with my actual markings." She stared in a mirror as Ben put on a hat. Owen and Beru came in carrying some more bags. "Here's some shoes and stuff you can try," Beru said.

"What do you think?" Ben said referring seriously to the hat. It was a baby blue fedora with red feathers angled upward on each side and a large yellow stipe running down its center.

"I'm going to give Luke a bottle," Beru said, holding in laughter as she walked out of the room.

"I think its ugly," Owen said, "but it's up to you."  
"It's big enough to cover my hair, though," Ben replied. "Besides, I bet the style is coming back. It's classy in a unique way. I could be like Cad Bane," he said looking to Suna. "This could be my trademark."  
She just shook her head, laughing. "I don't even think Cad Bane could pull that off."

"You know what you should do?" she said, suddenly getting very serious, "shave your beard."  
"What? NO!" Ben replied.

"Oh come on!" Suna protested. "The only time I've ever seen you clean shaven is when you were disguised as your murderer."

That earned a suspicious look from Owen.

"It's like a part of me," Ben protested.

"Yeah, and everyone knows that," Suna argued.

He sighed, knowing she was right.

"You could dye it." Owen suggested.

"I don't know," Ben replied.

An hour later, the two Jedi looked in the mirror side by side at their new selves. Suna had adjusted Ahsoka's eye markings so they bordered her entire eye in a neat circle. Her cheek markings were extended and filled in. She wore a simple brown tunic that was belted with a brown leather belt, tan leggings and brown laced-up boots. She had turned Ahsoka Tano's padawan braid into a bracelet so she could keep it with her. She also had a tan cloak that she could wear outdoors if necessary.

Ben had trimmed his beard to a goatee and dyed his hair to blonde. He wore a tan shirt with a brown vest, pants, and boots. He had a brown cloak for outdoors.

After a moment of staring at their reflections, Suna spoke.

"This is so strange."

"Well, we'll have to get used to it," Ben replied. "Because for now, this is who we are."


	12. Chapter 12

"Captain Rex," a familiar voice called. Rex looked to see Commander Cody come through the doors in front of him.

"Yes, Sir?" Rex replied in shock.

"This way," Cody replied leading Rex through the doors and down a series of stark white hallways until he reached a darkened communications room. The cloaked emperor stood on one side of a holographic table. Cody told Rex to stand on the other while he moved to take his position to the right of the emperor. A clone Rex was unable to recognize stood on the left. This one had a tablet in one hand.

"Hello, Captain," the emperor began. We just need to clarify some things…"

"Captain Rex," the unknown clone began.

"Yes, Sir," Rex replied.

"You were on Dantooine with Commander Ahsoka Tano and the 501st Torrent Company when Order 66 was issued?"

"Yes, Sir," Rex once again replied.

"Tell us about it."

"Our mission was a success. We were walking through the woods back to our transport when the order came through. We fired on Tano, and she fought back, taking out many of my men. Eventually, we were able to overpower her and I delivered the final blow."

"Good, thank you," the clone replied.

"I've heard you and Commander Tano were close," the emperor spoke. I would hope it was not too hard on you to end her life."

Rex knew he was testing him. He thought carefully for a moment.

"The commander was young when she came to us. She had much to learn about war, so at times I took her under my wing. It was always professional though. I had no attachment to her. She was an officer and I followed her orders, just like I followed yours," Rex replied.

"Very well," Sidious replied. "I am sending you with a group of troops to patrol the outer rim, looking for any Jedi that may be out there, and to assure the public they are in good hands. You will meet them in hanger B."

"Yes, Sir," Rex replied with a salute before turning toward the door.

Sidious leaned over to Cody. "Watch him," he said.

"Yes, Sir," Cody replied.

"Oh no! Absolutely NOT!" Suna cried as she looked into the bag Ben had placed in front of her filled with paper, pens, a datapad and old textbooks.

"We have to assimilate ourselves with the culture," Ben replied. Suna felt he'd said that at least a hundred times in the two weeks they'd been there.

"I didn't even realize they had schools here," she scoffed. "I mean, they keep kids as slaves!"

"Believe it or not Mos Eisley has quite the rising education program," Ben said cherrfully.

"Master, I am a Jedi…"

"A Jedi who has not yet completed her education. You are a sixteen-year-old girl. You can either pose as a student or my slave."

"I've been a slave before…" Suna mumbled.

"You're going to school," Ben said sternly. "It will be good for you to make some friends."

"I don't want to make friends. Especially with the hope that I can one day lose this identity."

Ben thought. "Then, think of it as a mission. Find out what others think about the Empire. See who we can trust."

Suna stared at him.

"You're not going to let up on this, are you?" she asked.

"Nope," he replied smiling.

The next day Suna was staring in the mirror. She had just finished reapplying the paint for her markings.

"I have led thousands of troops into battle. I have fought off some of the most dangerous criminals the galaxy has to offer. I can single-handily pilot a starship, and have survived being poisoned. I can do this."

Her glimmer of confidence vanished when she realized that those things were irrelevant. She was a new person, living on a desolate planet, in a universe darker than she could've dreamed. Worse, the one person that had given her the skills she had needed to have those accomplishments was now a monster. How could she rely on anything from the past?

"You don't give yourself enough credit, my dear," Ben said as if he'd heard her thoughts. "Ahsoka, you are so much more than a Jedi Padawan, and always have been. Just be yourself."

It was the first time he'd used her real name in weeks, and she smiled. She then did something that before now would have still seemed inappropriate. She went up to the Jedi Master and hugged him. "Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome," he said, returning the embrace with a smile. "Good luck."

Ahsoka had taken classes at the Jedi Temple. She had even gone undercover as a teacher in a Mandalorian school. At the temple, however, she knew everyone. Undercover, she had a mission to focus on, and probably felt a little too comfortable with her Jedi status.

Now, that comfort was gone. She was simply the only mentally scarred, newly insecure teenage togruta in a sandy room with a small class who had known each other for years.

'Well, this should be fun,' she thought.

She could constantly feel people's eyes on her. When she got there, the principal greeted her and gave her a packet with rules and other information about the school, as well as a test to see which learning level she fit into too.

The school was small. The building was nice for Tatooine, but nothing like the Mandalorian school. It had about fifty students dispersed over three levels of education. She scored into the highest level, which impressed the principal. "Where are you from, Miss Tano?"

"My uncle is a tradesman, and I've spent years traveling around the galaxy. All of the changes recently have caused him to return to his roots here as a moisture farmer."

It was the story she and Ben had felt sounded the most realistic.

"Well, it's good to have you here," he said handing her a schedule of classes. She sighed with relief.

As she awaited her first class, Advance Mathematics, she made no attempt to socialize. It was obvious from the moment she stepped into the room that cliques had already been well established. She went straight to a desk in the back.

The others simply stared at her off and on until a Rodian woman came in and stood in front of a screen.

"Good Morning, class. Today we will pick up where we left off with yesterday's lesson. I encourage you to welcome our new student," she said nodding toward Suna. "Now, if you'll turn to chapter 10…"

A half-hour into the class, and Suna realized the advanced level of learning was all or nothing. She'd studied Math at the temple, but it wasn't the top priority in learning how to protect the galaxy, especially during a war. She had only needed to learn the basics. She had no idea the subject could get this complicated.

She could hear the snickers as she struggled to complete a set of problems they were given.

"Hey Tano, I bet a wookie could fill out that sheet faster," a human boy commented.

"Better be careful insulting wookies," Suna snarkily replied. "They could easily rip you to pieces."

The rest of the day was a similar struggle. In the classes she did well in, she was still looked at strangely for being the new kid. Her last class of the day was recently added to every student's schedule: Imperial Laws and Customs.

Suna was OK with it, until the professor walked in.

"Hey, you're a clone!" one boy exclaimed.

"Yes, Sir." He said. "The name's Echo, and I will be teaching this class."

'You have got to be kidding me!' Suna thought.

She hid her face behind her datapad and pleaded with the force she would not be recognized.

"The material is pretty simple, but important," Echo began. "Today, we'll just go over some of the basic law changes that came about as the Republic transitioned into the Empire."

Suna zoned out for most of the lecture, trying to keep her emotions at bay.

'It'll all be OK. You have a good disguise. Don't worry about, she told herself.'

Near the end of class, Echo went through the aisles and handed out a syllabus for the rest of the semester. Suna began to wonder where he was during Order 66, and if he was with a Jedi. She had lost track of the Bad Batch's assignments over time.

'It makes sense that they made him a teacher," Suna thought. 'They can plug the information right into him.'

Echo walked down her row, and paused when he saw her.

"Hey, I know you!"


End file.
